I Never Noticed
by LiquidThoughts
Summary: Sweeney Todd never noticed her before. But as time goes by, he begins to see what he has been missing. [COMPLETE] [SWEENEY/LOVETT] [SLIGHT TODD/LUCY] [Rated M for Chapter 3]
1. Introduction

_All aboard. Hit the road. All the bullshit... Can't be ignored._

_It's hard to place...In my face. No emotion._

_"Straight to Video" - Mindless Self Indulgence _

**Introduction**

_a/n: I do not own Sweeney Todd, the play, the movie, or the characters._

Mrs. Lovett moved quickly up the cemented stairs ascending from the basement. The cold air hit her face so roughly it gave her goosebumps. Damn winter. Damn cold. The worst part was that she had left her coat upstairs in the barber shop, and the fire in the living room just didn't seem as warm as usual in the low degreed weather. Not that she minded going upstairs to get her coat. No, it wasn't her that minded. It was the other person who stalked the area above her small shop. Constantly, she could hear his footsteps in the middle of the night. Pacing back and forth. Quiet murmurs that she couldn't make out even when she attempted to stand on her couch on her tippy toes and put her ear to the ceiling. Which, by the way, Mrs. Lovett does not recommend, as shortly after she had lost her balance and fallen over with a bottle of Gin spilling over on her newly bought dress. You know, if it had been anyone else up there, Mrs. Lovett would be just fine with barging in, grabbing her coat, and ignoring any words thrown at her or glares casted her way. After all, it was her shop. But this one... this one was different.

His name was Sweeney Todd, and whether Mrs. Lovett liked to admit it or not, the last thing she wanted to do was disturb him when he wanted peace. However, it wasn't anything that he would say or do that would scare her. He had a razor put to her neck before, for goodness sake. No, it wasn't that she was scared of. It was his silence. His unbreakable silence. The walls of defense that were so apparent that it practically stenched the air to the point of suffocation. Just being in his presence sometimes made Mrs. Lovett claustrophobic even when they were the only people in the entire room. And yet, even as she felt him pull away even though he clearly was already a million miles away from her emotionally, she couldn't help but have her gaze linger on him much more longer than it should. Nor could she help dusting off her dress before entering the barber shop, hoping just slightly that he would glance her way and tell her that she looked nice today.

But that was foolish to think. The poor man was, after all, infested with mental thoughts that haunted him day after day. The things that he had been through... Losing his wife and child to a Judge so full of lust and greed. Being deported for years only to come back with no one there waiting for him. No one, but her. Not that it mattered if she was there or not. She was not his main concern or his main focus. She understood this. She had to.

Sighing, she rubbed her arms with her already numb hands and watched as her hot breath became a cloud of fog and drift off into the night sky. Perhaps she could just wrap herself in those wretched things called blankets that she had found laying on the streets abandoned years ago. Of course she'd have to ignore the fact that they constantly smelled like cat piss, no matter how many times she washed them. Desperate times calls for desperate measures. Opening the shop door slowly, as to not ring the bell that, though short-termed, rang very loudly through the currently empty roads of Fleet Street. Slowly creeping her body through the small part she left open for herself, she closed the door silently and moved across the deserted shop. There was flour scattered here and there. Most of it had been brushed out by dearest Toby. That poor child did anything she asked of him. Though she was fond of him, she sometimes worried if he was becoming too Dependant even though he was just a mere boy. Walking into the living room, the welcoming sound of a crackling fire meeting her ears, she threw up her hands exasperatedly.

"That's the third time this week!" she exclaimed in a hushed voice.

Toby was wrapped up in every blanket that could be found in the house, cuddled up next to a now empty bottle of gin. _My God, this child will drink me out of me own home at this rate..._ Mrs. Lovett thought to herself, shaking her head. Well, there goes her brilliant idea.

Twirling a strand of curly dark hair around her slim, bony finger, she decided that whether she wanted to or not she would either have to go upstairs to get her coat or try to sleep while shivering her arse off. With slight reluctance, she chose the former. _I'll just have to be very quiet._

Out the side doors and slowly up the stairs leading to the barber shop, the frills at the end of her dress swept up the dust that had collected from the dirt roads, leaving a trail of brown mist in her wake. She pulled her dress up wards in the front and clicked her heels against the cement stairs as quietly as possible until she got to the door. She knocked once on it with the tip of her pale knuckles. "Mr. Todd?" Mrs. Lovett called out in a low voice. "Mr. Todd? Are you awake?" There was no response. Not that she really expected one, but at least he couldn't say she didn't see if he was busy or not before walking in. Opening the door, she tried to keep the sound of her shoes on the wooden floor muffled. "Mr. Todd...?" She said again uncertainly and scanned the room. There was no one there visible. The only noise coming from the room was the slightly chilled wind outside passing through the fragile glass window and hitting the pages of a small, untitled brown journal that had been left open on his vanity.

She closed the door behind her and walked into the middle of the room, her eyes darting everywhere. Anxiety began to swell up inside of her. Usually she knew when Mr. Todd went out, because she was always inside cleaning or merely enjoying time spent with Toby, and she could hear him enter or exit his parlor. It was that slight knowledge of knowing precisely when he had left that seemed to calm her nerves, because at least she knew he would be coming back. However, this time, he was gone. And she didn't know when he had left but it had to be when she was in the cellar earlier and couldn't know when he had taken his leave. Something about not knowing, something about being left in the darkness about his absence, disturbed her. What was worse was that she saw his coat on the floor next to her own. That means that wherever he went, he was probably chilled to the bone, and that just did not set well with her.

Grabbing both the coats, she ran outside of the parlor and headed down the stairs, nearly tripping trying to get her coat on while running. Fumbling with the buttons, she decided it would just have to wait. Across the streets she seemed to glide, her eyes scanning every corner and every long, dwindling street. Hoping for some sign of Mr. Todd. _He has to be here somewhere..._

Walking down one of the narrow, dark paths, water dripping from the overhead onto her head from above, she shivered. The rats were following her, squeaking loudly as two of them fought over a small piece of bread crust that they had luckily found. "Stop, now," she said, nudging the rats with the tip of her shoe. They nearly stared at her for a second and continued to fight. Sighing, she fell against the brick wall of one of the buildings and slid down. There was no way she was going to find him even if she ran around all night. He was always in the darkest places, talking to himself in soft whispers. Knowing him, she thought, he was probably freezing to death and not even caring about it. Clutching his coat close to her heart, she bent her knees up wards and rested her head on them. Mrs. Lovett could smell his scent in his coat. It smelled strangely of face cream and an odd type of perfume that he had seemed to carry with him wherever he went. She never asked what it was but he always wore it. It was like dandelions mixed with hot cocoa. It was so subtle but to her it was so noticeable. Then again, she noticed a lot of things about him like this. Not that he would ever know, or ever care. That's just the way he was. Cold, distant, and haunted...

Her mind wandered towards thoughts of him like it did oh so very frequently until it was interrupted by a soft murmuring voice.

"_There's a hole in the world like a great black pit and the vermin of the world inhabit it. And it's morals aren't worth what a pin can spit... and it goes by the name of London._"

Her ears perked up immediately. She knew that voice. She knew that song. Looking up from her knees she saw him turn the corner. Mr. Sweeney Todd was there, with his head hung low and his hands in his pockets. His boots were splashing in the water puddles and getting all over his pants yet he didn't react at all to it.

"Mr. Todd!" She cried out, springing to her feet. For one of the few times ever, Sweeney lifted his head and looked at her. "Mrs. Lovett?" he said quietly, slightly confused at why she was there. However this confusion was quickly subsided as he looked away from her and to the ground once more. Running to his side, she began placing his coat on him. "You must be losin' your head, Mr. Todd. Out here in the blisterin' cold. Could catch a fever, don't ya know? Can't have that now can we, lush?" She said, helping his arms go through the correct holes in the coat and buttoning it up in the front. He made no responsive action towards her at all but merely stayed quiet and stared down. She was not offended at all by it. She was used to him ignoring her. Regardless, however, she knew that deep down inside that there was still her Benjamin Barker. And that was enough for her to put up with every silence that came from his bearing. "Come now, back to the shop, you're as ice cold as Mrs. Kennington. That ol' bat. Wouldn't break her heart if her own children died." Mrs. Lovett said, rolling her eyes and brushing the hair out of his stern, dark eyes. "Don't touch me," he muttered when she did it, but did not nudge away. "Sorry, Mr. Todd," she apologized softly, and she meant it, too. Mr. Todd never let her touch him, even if it was in a comforting way. Sometimes she couldn't help it though. All she really wanted to do was break through his walls of ice and warm him to his core. But she knew she couldn't. Not yet, anyways...

They walked together with a considerable distance between them. She couldn't get too close, but she stayed close enough to be able to hear his shuddered breaths. Into the shop they walked in and the slight warmth of the room seemed to make him uncomfortable. "I was fine," he mumbled towards her. "Don't be silly, Mr. Todd. You were about to become one of my meat pies at the rate you were freezing," she said, sitting him down in front of the fire in her rocking chair. He looked up at her and watched as she looked at Toby with both fists at her sides. He knew she was determining whether or not she should take one of the blankets from him. But he was fine, really, he was. He had gone for a walk because he had to think, as always. Things had been on his mind. Judge Turpin, Lucy, Johanna, and those nightmares... The same reoccurring nightmare he had been having ever since he had resumed his place in Fleet Street... Sometimes it felt like he never stopped thinking. The only relief he got was when his razors slipped so delicately off the necks of his customers, leaving a trail of red, liquid rubies in its wake. It was almost like a drug to him. The only thing that calmed his soul...

_Well, one of the things. _His conscious spoke underneath his thoughts. But he shut it down. That voice had no business here. It never would. Perhaps Benjamin Barker had a conscious... Sweeney Todd did not.

"I can't wake the poor thing," Mrs. Lovett said to herself, her hand rubbing her chin slightly. "You'll just have to sleep in my bed. That'll do, yes. I'm sure I have a spare quilt under it that you can use. And I do so want you to be warm, Mr. Todd. Honestly, these nightly walks in the winter just won't do. No, not at all..." Sweeney ignored her and stood. "I'll be fine, I'll just sleep upstairs. You worry too much." He grumbled. Mrs. Lovett stared at him sternly. "I worry just the right amount about you, Mr. Todd." She said. And with that, she disappeared into her bedroom, coming back with a extra quilt in hand. "It's quite dusty, but it'll have to do." She said, motioning for her to come into her room. However, he stood still, his face emotionless.

"I told you i'd be fine Mrs. Lovett."

"You tell me a lot of things, love."

Sighing to himself, Sweeney knew that this was a battle he would not win. "Alright, fine, if it'll get you off my damn back..." He followed her into the room and she searched through her drawers. "Here, slip into some clean garments while you're at it, won't you?" She said, throwing him a clean pair of clothes. He caught them in his hand and glared sharply at her. "Hush, now, love. You'll thank me tomorrow when you wake up without a fever." She winked at him and gave him a small smile. He did not recipicate it, but at least his stare softened and she knew he would give in purely because he was not in the mood to fight back. However, something bothered him that did not have anything to do with what was burdening his heart recently. Just as she went to leave, she called out to her.

"Mrs. Lovett?" He said.

She stopped in her tracks and looked back at him.

"Yes, Mr. Todd?"

"Why did you come out to look for me?"

The shock of the question hit Mrs. Lovett in such a way that it made her faintly dizzy. Though her composure was sturdy she felt as though someone had attempted to push her over mentally. "Well, Mr. T, to put it quite simply... I was worried. And you had forgotten you're coat. I suppose a silly thing like me couldn't help but go out to look for yeh." She said, her voice laced with slight tremble. Sweeney did not pay attention to a lot of things that she did, and to have him pay any detail to something she did do, warmed her heart greatly. Without a response, Sweeney turned away from her and she knew that was her cue to leave.

"Goodnight, Mr. Todd, sweet dreams."

As she closed the door behind her and her footsteps quickly faded, Sweeney Todd began to undress himself bearing scars that adorned his chest. "Goodnight, Mrs. Lovett." He said to himself. Even though he felt cold to her touch, to her every word and phrase, he couldn't help but feel a tad bit broken at her words. He knew in the depth of his soul, no matter what, that Mrs. Lovett would never leave his side. But even though she was there to take care of him, bring him food and customers that brought him temporary relief... She could never take away the nightmares.

No one would ever be able to take away the nightmares.

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That's the introduction. I hope I didn't drabble for too long. I tend to do that when I write. Criticism is appreciated as long as it's constructive. Just so everyone knows, yes, I absolutely adored the movie and I'm totally in love with the play as well. I've always had a huge love for Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd so I'm glad I can begin to write about them.

3 R&R. Chapter 2: You're So Amazing will be up when it's finished, so look out for it. : Much love to anyone who sat down to read this 3.


	2. Chapter 2: So Amazing

**Chapter 2: You're So Amazing**

_I never noticed, no never noticed.  
You're so amazing. So amazing._

_"Straight to Video" - Mindless Self Indulgence _

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sweeney Todd the play, movie, book, or characters._

* * *

_"Benjamin! Benjamin, save me. Benjamin, please!" Lucy's cries rang out through the city. Everything was a blur except for her. She laid sprawled out on the street, her hand outreached. Her beautiful pink dress was tattered and torn, her eyes that were so full of joy now replaced with fear and pain. "Benjamin... Why have you deserted me? Oh, Benjamin..." she sobbed, tears running down her rosy cheeks. There Sweeney Todd stood across from her. But he was no longer Sweeney Todd. No, he was Benjamin Barker. In his old clothes, with his hair all combed back and nice-like. He gasped as he ran for Lucy. "I'm here, Lucy! Don't be scared, i'm right here, i'll save you..." Those words he repeated even as he ran. He seemed never to get any closer to her. His feet felt like cement blocks were attached to them. No matter how hard he struggled to get to her, he couldn't._

_Suddenly, what seemed like blackened blood poured its way through the streets and all around Lucy. Hands began to form from them, grabbing her and ripping off her dress, choking her neck and pulling her blond locks. "Save me!" She gasped as her body began to sink into the black blood beneath her. "No, Lucy! No! They can't have you! They can't have you, Lucy!" He yelled angrily, falling to his knees and crawling, dragging his body on the ground. It felt like he weighed a thousand pounds heavier. He could barely move an inch towards her. Tears began to wet his face as he tried desperately to get to her. "Benjamin! Benjamin!" She screamed before a black hand clasped over her mouth and muffled her completely. He watched as the darkness overtook her, squeezing the lift out of her and absorbing her entire body before disappearing._

_The black blood dissipated into the air and everything went quiet._

_"NO!" he groaned, pounding his fists on the ground. "I failed you, Lucy. I failed you. I can't. No. No. NO!" He growled, sitting up on his knees and gripping his hair violently. Screaming until his lungs gave out before collapsing to the floor and crying softly._

_Unwarningly, dark figures surrounded him, mocking him, laughing at him, taunting him relentlessly. "You failed her. You fool." "You couldn't save her." "You weren't strong enough." "What about Johanna? She will never have a father because of you." "You promised her you'd take care of her." "Till death do you part, you bastard. You let her die." "You'll never be good enough for anyone else." "Love is over."_

_"You failed."_

_Cowering and rolling up into a ball,_ _Benjamin sobbed, letting the words of the passerby's sink into his very soul. He could feel his anger rise with every insult they threw at him. He had failed his wife. His beautiful Lucy... and he had failed his daughter. The only thing he had left._

_He had failed them._

_"Do what you must do. There is only one option left to take back what is yours..." he heard a whisper come in his ear and it sounded louder than any other voice around him. "Sweeney Todd..."_

_And then crazed laughter rang in his ears. It shook his entire body inside and out. _

_"Sweeney bloody Todd."_

_"Benjamin?" he heard a voice say softly underneath all the laughter. But he couldn't distinguish it. "Benjamin..." the voice called his name. But it wasn't Lucy. No, he didn't know who it was. All he could hear was the laughter. "Benjamin, don't be scared. I need you. I need you Benjamin..."_

_"Benjamin..."_

"Mr. Todd!" a yell broke through the dream and suddenly Sweeney Todd found himself facing none other than Mrs. Lovett, the tips of their noses barely touching and his hands placed around her neck. She looked utterly confused, her round, black eyes staring up at him with hints of fear in their sparkle. "Mrs... Mrs. Lovett?" he said, his gaze meeting hers. Their eyes locked to each other. He could feel her short breaths hit his lips.

No longer temporarily paralyzed, he let go of her and she gasped for breath. He had her pinned against a wall with both his hands squeezing down on her neck. Coughing, Mrs. Lovett hunched over, holding her chest with her hand. "Mr. Todd... what..." was the only thing she managed to get out. Sweeney Todd looked at his hands, bewildered. Just a second ago he was in a dream land, and now he's awoken to be found choking Mrs. Lovett with his bare hands?

"Mum!?" cried a voice as Sweeney cracked his neck looking towards the doorway. With a slight sense of relief that it wasn't a customer who had seen the event, he breathed steady. Toby ran in, immediately at Mrs. Lovett's side. "Mum what happened? You were screaming!" he said, the worry in his voice heavy. "It's nothing dear... it's nothing, i'm fine. Please leave." She spurted out, still regaining her posture, leaning on the wall. "But mum, what happened?!" Toby questioned, his eyes filling up with tears at the sight of his mum in such a predicament.

"Leave." Was all that she said, trying to put on a weak smile. "I'll be fine."

Hesitantly, he looked from Mrs. Lovett to Sweeney.

"You better have not touched her." Toby said, trembling.

"Toby! Go!" Mrs. Lovett commanded now. The child took one more look at her before running out of the room and leaving the two alone.

There was a rough silence, the only noise coming from Mrs. Lovett who was still trying to clear her lungs. Her heart was beating so intensely fast, she nearly thought it was going to burst straight through her chest. Which, she prayed to herself wouldn't happen because that would be quite the mess to clean up. Mrs. Lovett realized that Sweeney was not saying a word. He had completely ignored Toby and was just merely staring at his hands as if they were covered in some kind of skin disease. "Too much cold air, I reckon..." Mrs. Lovett said finally and Sweeney looked at her, eyebrows furred. "Must've caught a slight fever from the weather to be actin' like that, Mr. Todd... Dreamin', you were. Sayin' all sorts of things. Repeatin' your name..." she continued, finally feeling well enough to stand up straight. She smoothed out the crinkles in her dress and re-adjusted her hair which, Sweeney noticed, was a bit more crazier today then it normally was. She looked straight back at him and he could feel her eyes penetrate him when she did. But he did not budge. He couldn't budge. His mind was whirling with the events of the nightmare that had plagued him ever since his return, and what he had woken up finding himself doing. Not that he really minded choking Mrs. Lovett, as he did so think of doing it from time to time whenever she was on his case about one thing or another, but at least it could've been a conscious decision. "Tried to wake you up, I did, but you attacked me. Kept sayin' the word 'failure'..." Suddenly his gaze dropped along with his hands. The memory was still too fresh, and to know that he let slip some of his dream to Mrs. Lovett did not bear well with him. She didn't need to know. She shouldn't need to worry. He didn't want her questions, or her pity. "Glad you got conscious, though, I am. Honestly, dear, I was about to hit you with that bottle of gin over there if you didn't stop." She nudged her head towards an empty bottle of gin that was on top of a wooden desk. "Gave me quite a fright..." her voice trailed off and things went quiet again.

She wanted to ask so badly what he was dreaming. It nearly killed her to not say anything but she knew if she asked she would not get a response. No, not now anyways. She would have to wait. Wait until later. Things were too fresh right now, and she knew better. Still, curiosity pulsed through her veins as she felt her heartbeat finally begin to slow. "Forget it," Sweeney said suddenly and she was slightly taken aback. "Forget it?" she repeated. "That's what I just said, wasn't it?" snapped back Sweeney, looking up to glare at her. Mrs. Lovett did not expect an apology from him. He wasn't the type to apologize, or admit fault at all. No, Sweeney Todd was right even when he was wrong. The quicker you learned that, the quicker you could begin to understand him. Then, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room without another word. She heard the door to the outside of the shop open and slam closed and knew he had retreated back to his parlor. To his blades. Her heart sank considerably as she shook her head.

"...Well, nearly getting choked to death is checked off for the daily deeds for today..." she murmured to herself, walking back into her shop from her living room and preparing for the rest of the days tasks. And she tried to ignore that her head swimming with thoughts about what had just happened, and her heart aching at the fact that she would probably never find out. And she tried hard to ignore the constant comforting of Toby, who wouldn't let her do a thing because he needed to make sure she was okay enough to do it. And she tried to ignore the fact that he wouldn't tell her what was wrong. And she tried to ignore the fact that another sun would set and she would be no where more near getting into his heart.

And she tried to ignore the tears that welled up in her eyes every time she realized that she couldn't ignore it at all. No, not even if a razor was put to her throat.

* * *

Sweeney Todd couldn't shake the nightmare this time. It had gone farther than ever before. Usually, he just got to the point where the voice would laugh. But never before had he heard that voice below it. Who was it? He had to know. He had to figure it out. It wasn't Lucy... she wasn't the one trying to save him. It was someone else. Someone he knew. Perhaps it was Johanna? But no, it couldn't of been her. He had never heard her voice before. This one, he was familiar with. And the cold desire and feeling of being in the dark was destroying him inside and out. Now, even as a customer came in and their throats shot blood across the wooden floors, he couldn't find any comfort. His friends, his blades, had seemed to forsaken him for the time being. Which made him even more frustrated and angry.

"Damnit!" he said as the chair tilted back and a body went down the chute. He threw his blades across the room and bent down, grasping his ears. Even now he could hear that laughing. It would never leave his head, the ghosts would. They would haunt him till the day that he died and there was nothing he could do about it. Breathing heavy, he set back all the angsty emotions he had been feeling. No, those feelings were only felt by Benjamin Barker. They would never be felt by Sweeney Todd. Sweeney Todd only felt anger and vengeance. And he was no longer Benjamin Barker. And he never would be, ever again. All because of the Judge who stole everything from him... all because of greed and envy.

_Bastard,_ he thought to himself vividly, standing up straight. _When he comes back in here, he will bleed so much that there wont be any blood left. The room will be flooded. Yes, it will shine as if coated in rubies. And there will be nothing but the stench of pure justice. There will be no mercy..._

And the memories of having the judge in his chair and the knife right at his neck scarred him. It welled up so much anger in him he could barely even hold his blades steady sometimes when he was working with his customers. The judge was so close and yet so far away. All he had ever wanted to do to him, he could've. If Antony didn't walk in... if he had just waited a few more minutes, the Judge would be dead and he would be with his daughter right now, the only thing he had left in this life._Or is it?_ the calm voice behind all of his spite said gently. _Yes, it is._ He bit back at the hand that outreached towards him. _You will stay dead._ He thought to himself. _Dead._

Walking over to his vanity he looked at the journal that had been flipped open. He had found it left here when he had come back and yet it was empty. Sweeney hadn't thought of writing in it. No, his thoughts were his alone and no one else would read them. He was not some child who delved his insidious endeavors into pages of an empty book. No, he practiced malice... and enjoyed it. Closing the book soundly, he looked up at the mirror that shown his reflection. He looked like death. Crows feet under his eyes, his skin so pale it was tinted a light blue. His hair disoriented and a mess. And his eyes... he might as well have plucked them out they looked so lifeless. Dark, and filled with sorrow that no one would be able to understand. No... not anyone.

"Mr. Todd?" came a shrill voice from behind his parlor door. Inhaling deeply and calming his nerves, he attempted to clear his mind. Mrs. Lovett... she had probably come to give him food. Food that he never ate, although it was always warm and welcoming. No, he couldn't eat. He could only think, and kill. Anything else could wait until later.

"Mr. Todd?" the voice said again. He still didn't reply but continued to stare at himself, engulfing himself in the coldness that was his own being.

The parlor door opened and the bell above it rang and echoed in the room. "Mr. Todd..." said the voice of Mrs. Lovett, "I brought you a bit to eat. Hope you don't mind. It's a tad early for me to be givin' you your dinner but if I don't do it now i'll be swamped, I will. All this business goin' through the shop. You'd think we were sellin' gold in those pies, wouldn't ya..." Her approach was subtle and half-hearted. He knew she was still a little unstable because of the earlier events. He didn't look at her even though he saw her reflection in the mirror. She was behind him a tray full of warm food. Mrs. Lovett always made him something besides pies. She figured the last thing he wanted to do was eat the very thing he just murdered. I mean, it's one thing to grind a dead persons insides, cook 'em, put 'em in a pie and sell 'em to others... It's another thing to eat it yourself._Quite unsettlin' really, eatin' the very eyes that watched ya murder 'em._ Sweeney overheard Mrs. Lovett talking to herself one day and saying that. No, she cooked him fresh bread. The finest you could get, with a side of soup. But he never touched it. He would sometimes take a small bite of the bread, but that would be it, and he would only do it because she would frequently refuse to leave unless she knew he was eating.

She set it down at his vanity and stared at him for a good few minutes. He knew that would be one of those times.

"Aren't ya gonna eat somethin', love?" she said and he closed his eyes, reserving his anger for his customers.

"I'm not hungry," he said witlessly. "Well, that's wonderful 'n all, but you don't see any barbers slittin' the throats of their enemies by starvin' themselves to death, now do ya?" she responded, not missing a beat.

He shot a look at her that would've made normal people cringe. But Mrs. Lovett nearly stood there with a smirk on her face and a twinkle in her eye. She was a strong one, Mrs. Lovett was. Never took anything too seriously, even murder. And yet underneath all the smiles and the warm words, he knew that she was just as cold as he was. The difference between him and her was that she wanted to feel warm again. He didn't. "Should've killed you while I had the chance," he muttered to himself, looking away from her. And yet, all she did was laugh. Loudly, he might add. Then, there came another silence, penetrated only by a small giggle that escaped her pale lips as she replayed the words in her head.

"So, what did you dream up in that head of yours, Mr. Todd?"

The question came so briskly that he nearly looked at her in surprise. But her sentence sunk in, and he was filled with abrupt need for retaliation.

"And what business is it of yours, Mrs. Lovett, what I dream?" He spat at her.

"All the business in the world if you don't eat, dear."

She batted her eyelashes at him and he had the sudden desire to take that bowl of soup and throw it in her face.

"Don't see how it makes a difference. I don't need to eat. I only need to think, and kill, until he comes back or I can find a way to get to him."

Mrs. Lovett crossed her arms. "And what if he don't come back? What if you can't find a way to kill him? What then, lush? Are ya just gonna live until ya die? 'Cause that ain't livin', love."

"Once something dies, Mrs. Lovett, you can't make it live." He said in a putrid voice, turning his back on her and looking outside the cracked windows that showed nothing but the grey, desert sky of London. And with those words came the very thing he had wanted all along from her: Quiet.

But all good things must come to an end.

"Quite a charming introspect, dear, but are you going to eat or what?"

She was so _damned_stubborn.

Spinning around he grabbed the piece of bread off of the tray and without looking at her, dug his teeth into it and ripped half of it off. Swallowing it whole and throwing the rest of it back on the tray.

"There. I ate. Now leave me."

And even though she felt like staying, and fighting back even more, she knew her acts would be in vain. Sighing, she left the room and it wasn't until the door had closed and he heard her footsteps disappear into the crowd below him, that he felt slightly comfortable again.

Walking across the room he picked up the blade that he had thrown earlier and held it tightly in his hand. "You are the only thing I need..." he whispered almost lovingly to it, walking back to the window and watching the smoke from the chimneys arise into the air filling the city with even more filth then it already inhabited. Then, almost as if someone had smacked him in the face, he heard a distinct song travel from downstairs and through the creaky floorboards underneath his feet.

"_By the sea, with the fishies splashing...By the sea, wouldn't that be smashing?_"

Mrs. Lovett was singing while serving her customers. And in that moment, he couldn't help but wish she would come back up just so he could hear her more clearly.

_The only thing that you need..._ He looked down at his blade in hand and then at the tray of food that was left on his vanity.

And for the first time, he noticed that Mrs. Lovett always left him the food even when he said he wouldn't eat it, more than likely in hopes that one day he would bring it back down empty.

* * *

The customers never seemed to stop. It was a good thing that so many men in London had a five o' clock shadow, or Mrs. Lovett would've surely ran out of meat pies many hours ago. It was a crazed night, the dinner rush was worse than ever before and her knees were beginning to buckle she was so tired. Her hands were sore and could barely even hold a tray of pies. Toby was there, helping out more than she could've ever needed him to. The boy really did amaze her at times. He seemed more alive then she could ever be in these situations. Currently he was entertaining guests by playing the piano that was in the living room. Usually she would never allow guests to go into her own living room, but she made an exception seeing as they were leaving her alone. Toby's skills were charmingly enjoyed. He seemed to play songs on that piano that Mrs. Lovett had never even heard before. Not that she heard many, seeing as she herself couldn't play piano. Her husband, however, used to play it all the time, and even Toby could win in a battle against him.

Thankfully people began to clear out, and only a handful of customers stayed in the living room watching Toby perform, clinking their mugs of ale together while laughing and singing along to the songs he would play. Thoroughly exhausted, Mrs. Lovett collapsed into one of the chairs, her body spread out on it. She was so completely drained that she almost didn't notice the door to her shop open.

"Not another customer..." she groaned to herself, looking in the direction of the sound. It was to her pleasant surprise, it was not a customer that had walked in. It was Sweeney Todd.

He strode in briskly holding an empty tray in his hands. He didn't look at her but merely placed it near the rest of the dirty dishes.

"Mr... Mr. T?" Mrs. Lovett said, her lower lip slightly quivering. He had ate all of his food and she didn't have to make him. She was almost tempted to take a picture of this moment because she knew it would be a rare kind. Mr. Todd looked at her and, with much strength, tried to gather up some kind of smile towards her. However, it ended up making him look even more insane than he already was and came off rather menacingly. He really couldn't remember the last time he had really smiled out of happiness and was unfamiliar with showing any signs of affection.

Mrs. Lovett's eyes widened in pure joy as she nearly jumped out of the seat and ran over to the tray. The bowl of soup was empty and the bread was gone, the only thing left being small crumbs left. "You... ate." She said slowly, almost not believing her eyes. He nearly continued to give her a forced smile. "You ate Mr. Todd! You ate! Oh, I never thought i'd live to see the day. No, never!" She nearly went to embrace him into a hug but stopped herself, her eyes glistening brightly. _She's lost her marbles... _Sweeney thought to himself privately, _getting so worked up over just me eating a meal._ He could not understand why she was so enlightened by such a small thing. But nonetheless, he admitted it was a strange but nice change to see her actually happy from something he did.

"Who is that?" Sweeney said suddenly, his smile fading and his eyes traveling towards the living room where he could hear the music playing. "Toby, magnificent little thing, in'it he? Plays like he's been Dion' it all his life." Mrs. Lovett explained, her voice filled to the brim with happiness. She had forgotten all about her weak knees and seemed renewed with energy. Then it dawned on her... even though she didn't have customers to serve, she still had to clean. Becoming slightly annoyed by that fact she sighed. Sweeney noticed but said nothing, staring at her now and watching as she began to scramble around, getting all the dirty dishes and bringing them to her old-fashioned sink. The same sink that she cleaned his blood-stained shirts in. "Dirty job, but someone 'as to do it." She said, smiling at him.

Sweeney Todd watched her hands delicately scrub the plates until they were so clean they shined. He watched her run around collecting mugs of ale and cleaning them out with her bare fingers, using nothing but an old, dirty and holey rag as her aid. He watched her brush up the flour into one area that she would sweep outside once it was all collected. He noticed she never asked him to help, whether it was because she thought he wouldn't or the fact that she didn't want to bother him, he didn't know but he figured it might've been both.

Sitting down, he watched with a blank expression as the rest of the customers left and Toby came to her side. The child was so worn out that he nearly fell asleep twice leaning against the broom when he sweeped the flour and the broken shards of plates outside. But he wasn't tired enough to not shoot him dirty looks every now and then.

He realized that Mrs. Lovett, no matter what he had done to her, was always loyal and hard-working. Yes, he provided business for her, but she was the one that kept it all running. And if she hadn't sold the pies like mad as she did, he would have no customers. And even out of her busy day of cleaning and serving she always managed to bring him warm food and would tend to his every need. Whenever his shirts got dirty from blood, she cleaned them, and would frequently come upstairs to help him wipe down the blood from the windows or wood before they slipped through the cracks and onto the shop below. Sometimes she would even persuade her customers for a shave, even when she didn't need anymore meat for her pies. She worked herself to the bone for him and he knew that whatever he asked, she would do. Now, foolish though it may seem to be so corresponding to someone so distant, she didn't go down without a fight sometimes.

He suddenly felt a pinge of guilt hit his heart from the scene that he made this morning, almost choking her to death unintentionally. And yet even as he did that, she acted like it never happened. Brought him dinner just like always, and still found enough peace in her heart to sing while she worked.

_Amazing._

It was almost like as he was realizing this, he could feel a drip of warmth slither down his cold heart. And though a voice inside of him told him to shut it up before it got worse, he didn't.

When all was said and done, and the shop looked as clean as it did earlier, and Toby was put to bed near the crackling fire, Mrs. Lovett finally had time to relax. It was true, she did not ask for his help, but she was just grateful for his presence. The fact that he stuck around to watch her made her content enough to not bother him with cleaning anything.

She walked over to her counter that was no longer filled with white flour and bread crust but glistening in the grey moonlight, she folded her arms on it and rested her chin on her hands.

"Well, love, what have you been ponderin' in that seat? Been quiet ever since you came down, and I don't really see the reason to stay unless you enjoy watchin' me work my buns off." She said, giving him a weak smile.

And then, he smirked and chuckled darkly to himself. Standing up and walking over to her.

"I never noticed, Mrs. Lovett," he said, looking straight at her and lifting her chin so her eyes met his, "you're amazing."

Mrs. Lovett's face went motionless and she felt her heart stop beating. Not only was he complimenting her, but he was _touching_ her. And his chilled hands sent shivers down her spine. Her chest heaved upwards as he moved around the counter and began to corner her slowly. "Oh, so amazing, Mrs. Lovett." He said in a low growl, his nose nudging the side of her face as she became breathless. "Mr. Todd..." she said in almost a slight whimper. Sweeney knew that this is what she wanted, and he couldn't deny it. Even though his intentions were temporarily good, the desire of being apart of someone after so many years twisted his previously innocent thoughts. The knowledge of knowing that a beautiful woman like Mrs. Lovett was obtainable by just saying the word could make even the sanest of men stray. He really was thankful for her... And he would show her affection in the only way he knew how.

His hands began to brush the dark, straggly hair out of her eyes and face and he couldn't help but twitch a little at the sight of her orb-like, dark eyes looking up at him with such innocence and utter loyalty.

_Don't do it, _a voice in the back of his head said, but it was drowned out by laughter. That laughter that haunted him in his dreams. The laughter that took hold of him as he pushed Mrs. Lovett harshly against the wall, his body pressed against hers. "Mrs. Lovett... I need you to do me a small favor..." he whispered huskily in her ear. "Mr. Todd... B-Benjamin..." she said, her voice shaking as goosebumps went across her skin.

And as if someone had lit him on fire, he threw himself back from her. His eyes large.

"What did you just call me?" he asked quietly, in a voice that made her slightly fear for her life.

"... I... I'm sorry Mr. Todd!" She said hurriedly, trying to cover up what she had done. She didn't mean to call him Benjamin, it just happened.

"You called me Benjamin." He stated dully.

"I'm sorry." She was starting to breath heavy now, "I didn't mean to, Mr. Todd. Sincerest apologies, Mr. Todd..." She had just blown her chance.

Something about her calling him Benjamin moved him. Something about her saying his name sounded familiar.

_The dream... _he said, an epiphany falling over him. _It was her voice that I heard calling out to me... It was her, Mrs. Lovett!_

"Mr. Todd!" cried a male voice, interrupting his thoughts. He whirled around and watched as a figure burst through the doors of the shop. It was Anthony. "Mr. Todd! I found her, Johanna! The Judge locked her away in the Asylum. There's no way for me to get her out."

_Asylum... Johanna..._Sweeney began to think, memories of his original task swarming back to his mind. _Judge Turpin..._

"I need your help, Mr. Todd."

Immediately, Sweeney regained his posture straight and proper. Mrs. Lovett still in the background against the wall, her pulse failing her with every word Anthony spoke. Her chance was gone...

"So be it, lad. Upstairs with you," he nodded towards the stairs to his parlor outside. "We'll discuss this in private." His voice was back to the harsh, knife-like tone that it had been before. As if his sudden change earlier had never occurred. Anthony nodded and quickly ran outside and up into the parlor. Sweeney stood staring at the ground. He knew Mrs. Lovett was waiting for him to say something. But he merely looked back at her with a stern, emotionless face. His eyes no longer full of the fire inside him. He did not give her a nod or a shake of the head, but turned and left her all alone in her shop.

Left alone with no answers, and no reassurance.

* * *

YAY! Well that was a long chapter. lol, I hope you enjoyed it though. Chapter 3: You're Suffocating, will be out as soon as I get around to writing the rest of it. Thanks for the good reviews so far. I really do enjoy them. I just hope I can keep the characters IC enough... I tend to sway between dementedly lustful Sweeney and angsty/emo Sweeney so I'm trying to balance out the two into one. Sort of difficult. Oh well. Enough rambling. Hope you enjoyed the update. 3 Keep R&R'ing. Much love, xoxo. 


	3. Chapter 3: Suffocating

**Chapter 3: You're Suffocating**

_I never said it. No, never said it._

_You're suffocating. Suffocating._

_"Straight to Video" - Mindless Self Indulgence_

_**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the Sweeney Todd the play, book, movie, or characters. This is merely fan fiction._

_**WARNING:**_this chapter is what caused this story to be rated M. So if you think you can't handle it, feel free to click the "back" button and read something more cutesy.

* * *

"She's in Fogg's Asylum, Mr. Todd," Anthony said, out of breath. No doubt he had been running for awhile before he got here. He collapsed on the barber chair and Sweeney Todd winced, having the slight desire to ask him if he wanted a shave purely because of the stress that pounded through his heart. "Asylum...?" he asked quietly, walking over to his vanity and surveying his blades. The judge would soon be his if he could just figure out a plan. Still, even as he thought of Johanna, the Judge, and the opportunity that was being given to him, he couldn't help but have a particular memory tug at his head. He had never felt so physically connected to Mrs. Lovett before, and he could still see her deep, starless eyes in his mind. He could hear her cheerful voice in his dreams. But he pushed away the thought._Nothing is more important than this... Nothing._

"Yes, the Asylum. We need to get her out, Mr. Todd. We have to. I have to. I don't know how. It's impossible to get in." said Anthony, speaking far too quickly for Sweeney Todd to really concentrate on what he was saying. All he was intent on was getting the judge. And as he stood there with silence befalling the two of them, he raised his head upwards towards the window. "You will pretend to be a wigmakers apprentice... they are allowed in there all the time to get snippets of hair from the prisoners. Tell them you are looking for golden locks of a female. You'll have them lead you to the correct room and then you will grab her and run. Kill whom you have to. Afterwards, you will bring her straight here."

Moving his blade slowly across his fingers, the bristles of it feeling good against his skin, he chewed his tongue. "And I... I shall tell the Judge that she will be here. I'll trick the bloody fool into believing that she's changed her ways. And when he comes..."

He did nothing but move the blade to his neck and slowly move it across his jugular.

"Brilliant, Mr. Todd! Brilliant... I'll do it, Mr. Todd, I will. I'll bring her here. And we can start a new life together! Oh, thank you Mr. Todd. I owe you my life." Anthony trembled gratefully in his gratification, bowing multiple times to the barber before running out and downstairs. He did not seem to be phased at all by the movements Sweeney Todd had made that indicated Judge Turpin would soon become one of Mrs. Lovett's meat pies. _I'd hate to see the buggers that ate him, _he could hear her saying it now if she had been here. But she wasn't. _And it's better that way, _he thought to himself silently, sitting himself down in his own barber chair and glowering in the grey scales that illuminated off of his window. "Vengeance... That is what we're here for," muttered Sweeney quietly. A small voice inside of his head disagreed and tried to push through all of his twisted thoughts. _Remember it was like when you were next to her? The feeling of her presence, the beauty of her eyes. She was suffocating in your mere sight.._. His mind stung with the echo of Mrs. Lovett's voice. _She called you Benjamin. She wants to save you. She needs you. Let her save you._

As if someone had just slapped him across the face, he snapped his head and looked away. No, he was not going to let anything persuade him any longer. Visions of the dream flashed through his head. Lucy... his dear Lucy, succumbed into darkness, and it was all of his fault. Johanna, taken away from the only arms that should've ever held her. All because he wasn't strong enough for them. His hands balling into fists he felt the blades he held cut into his hands and blood drip from his palms. But he didn't care. Soon only one would shed blood, and what a glorious moment that would be. Judge Turpin would be like his own masterpiece. Every cut across his neck would be his splash of red paint on a clean canvas. Each slash indicating a different part of his story, yes... It would be his work of art. It would be his legacy. He would be able to contort and portray him in any way that he wished. All it took was one slice and that was it. Suddenly Judge Turpin would be the one losing everything, and his gasp of breath when he realized who Sweeney Todd really was, would be the most satisfying sound Sweeney would ever hear in his life.

The corners of his lips curved upwards into a twisted smile as he arose from his chair, replaying these thoughts of revenge in his head continuously. He walked over to his vanity and peered at the journal. It was time to put his plan into motion. Perhaps, just for his own sick satisfaction, he would write in his own blood. He certainly had enough of it running down his fingertips, his grip on his blades weakened. He would have to clean them later, or get Mrs. Lovett to do it, as he wanted them to be shining like silver in the light when Judge Turpin came. Throwing the thought aside he placed his dripping red blades on the vanity and grabbed the ink bottle next to the journal. He wrote swiftly and quickly, drips of blood staining the letter. But they were nearly dried black now, and would just come off as spilled ink. His letters were curvy and delicately placed. Sweeney knew that neither him or the Judge would ever forget this note. He indicated towards the Judge of Johanna's upcoming appearance and how if he wanted to see her again he had to come to his shop, as she would be there soon. He wrote that she had seen the error of her ways, and decided she did indeed wanted to marry. Even writing those words made his stomach churn, which is not something that happened often to him. Trying to hold in his anger and save it till later, he finished the letter and folded it up neatly, putting it in an envelope and looking at the stamp that would go over the tip corner of the envelope. Trying not to laugh darkly at his own idea, he dipped the stamp into his hand where his palms were filled with red blood, getting it properly soaked, and then pushing it down hard on the letter, watching as it slightly sank in to stain.

Now, he just needed to get it to the Judge. Holding the letter with the tip of his index finger and thumb, he opened the parlor door and ran downstairs. He knew just the person who would do it for him. Looking around, he walked down the deserted street and turned a familiar corner. There, in that street, was a family of three. A widow and her two children. One boy, one girl. The boy was considerably older, and almost grown enough to be called a man. He had given him a shave once, but spared his life and the cost when the widow and her daughter had been watching the entire time. They were homeless, and constantly sat on the street with a small fire made next to them, trying to stay warm in the cold. "'Ey, boy!" he called out. The widow had been snuggling the girl, who looked merely about four or five, under her ragged old blanket she had no doubt found abandoned. The boy, who had been sitting on the other side of the fire that shone dimly, looked upwards. "Ah, Sweeney Todd! Good to see you again, sir," the boy said, standing up and putting out his hand to shake. Sweeney did not oblige but merely held out the letter. "I'll give you my whole pocket of silver if you do me a favor, boy." Sweeney said, getting a pouch full of coins out of his pocket. He didn't mind losing it, as he did not need it at all. The boys eyes widened as he looked at the pouch and then back at his shivering mother and sister.

"What favor, sir?" he asked, grabbing the letter and looking at it. Catching sight of his hands which Sweeney immediately placed behind his back. "Give this letter to Judge Turpin. Do you know where he lives?" asked Sweeney. "Yes, sir, I do." replied the boy, nodding his head. Sweeney shoved the pouch at him. "Deliver that letter for me to him. Tell him it is urgent."

The boy nodded again, and with that, he ran off.

Watching him, Sweeney couldn't help but smile twistedly to himself. His plan was being set in motion. He was suddenly grateful that he didn't slit the boys throat open when he came in for a shave.

Making his way back to his parlor, he chuckled to himself. Tonight was the night he would get everything he had ever dreamed of.

Everything he was ever robbed of, would be his once more.

_Never forgive, _he thought. _Never forget._

Salvation.

* * *

Mrs. Lovett tried not to care when Sweeney Todd took his leave without a word given. She tried not to care when he could hear them discuss things above her and knew that she was not important enough to be trusted with such information when she, not Lucy, or Anthony, or anyone else in this world had taken care of him from the second he came back to Fleet Street. And she tried not to care when Anthony ran down through her doors, told her he would be back soon with Johanna, and nearly tripped over himself when he had left. No, it wasn't her place to care. It wasn't.

_Bullocks,_ she thought to herself, watching a small beetle crawl over her counter top. She took her rolling pin and smashed it down on the bug, hearing a satisfying crunch underneath it. "No, you don't," she spoke harshly, throwing her now dirty rolling pin in the sink and flicking the remains of the bug off onto the floor.

It was no lie that she was bothered. The hairs were still standing up on her arms from when Sweeney Todd had been oh so close. Then she had to go and ruin it by calling him Benjamin. _Have you gone mad?_ Mrs. Lovett pondered towards herself. It had been a moment she was waiting her whole life for and in a second it was outside of her grasp like sand through her fingers. Sighing heavily she looked outside the window pane on the door to her shop, her fingers twisting around themselves nervously. If she could just get him out of her head for more than a second, a breath of sanity could go through her for merely a moment. But it simply was not going to happen. Mrs. Lovett scanned the abandoned streets. No one was there to see what had happened and she was rather grateful for that. The last thing she needed was her shop getting a bad reputation, or, even though she enjoyed the idea, rumors going around. It was amazing how bad news spread even in a place like London.

But then her gaze caught on something that made the world around her go black.

Toby was awake, outside, talking to an old beggar woman.

Her eyes widening as big as saucers, she threw open the door and ran outside. "Toby! Toby, what are you doin' out here in the freezin' cold? Get back inside!" she said, grabbing the child's arm and sending a glare towards the beggar woman. "Devil! Devil!" the woman hissed insanely, her eyes bloodshot and empty, her hair the color of a darkened grey shade. She pointed a long, bony finger at her, the womans nails at least two inches long. "She-devil! Wickedness! City on fire, the city on fire. Liar, liar! Back to hell with you, devil!" she croaked. Toby looked up at Mrs. Lovett with beady, fearful eyes. "Mum, the woman, is she right?" he asked hesitantly. Mrs. Lovett stared at the beggar woman with a look of pure disgust. Panic welled up inside of her and she couldn't control herself when she threw the woman against a wall and placed her hand around her throat.

"Don't you dare speak. I am not the devil..." she said threateningly, her voice low but her face close to the womans, making sure she heard her clearly. "_You_ are."

With that, she threw the woman by the neck to the floor and grabbed Toby's hand and ran.

"Devil! Devil...!" she could hear in the distance even as the woman coughed and spurted, trying to regain her posture. "Tell the world, tell the city, boy, you're in the hands of devils-play..."

"Mum, you're hurting me," Toby whined as Mrs. Lovett led him back into the shop and into the living room, her grip on him so firm it was marking his skin. She pushed him onto the sofa in living room and finally let go of him as he whimpered. Her whole body was shaking terribly. That damn woman. She wasn't suppose to get that close. No, not at all. Looking around frequently as if she was to pop out at any minute and start preaching more crazed ideas. "Insane, she was. Off her rocker... yes..." Mrs. Lovett was talking to herself more than she was to Toby, trying to reassure herself as she paced in circles, teeth bit down on her lower lip. "She's not telling the truth, is she mum...?" Toby repeated his question, this time much slower and much more fearfully. Mrs. Lovett looked at him with wide eyes. "No, of course not lush. No... no, the woman has gone mad. Insane, she is..." Her voice trailed off and silence delved between the two.

Calming down with each minute that passed by, Mrs. Lovett poured herself a glass of gin and gulped it down in one sip. She needed to appear normal so that he didn't suspect a thing. She could feel his small eyes on her and could see his mind beginning to work against her. Even children could not stay oblivious when doubt was handed to them. Looking over at him, she saw him with a slightly frightened demeanor. Giving herself a chance to recollect, she walked over and sat next to him. "Let me see your arm..." she said gently, and he held it out. There were forming bruises on it from when she had gripped him. Leaning down, she kissed it gently with her chapped lips. "I'm sorry love. Got a little bit worked up, I did, eh? But it's all over now. You can't be trustin' anyone that comes up 'n tells ya stories, now can ya? No, that won't do at all..." She ruffled his hair, trying her hardest to minimize the damage she had just done. She couldn't have him suspecting her. "It's alright, mum, I know you're stressed out. She was at the window though, while I was tryin' ta sleep. Watchin' me. I went to go tell her to leave, like you would want, Mum, but she started telling me all these things like how you be the she-devil..." he looked away for a second and before Mrs. Lovett could say anything he quickly shot his eyes back to focus on her, his face so serious and stern that she was a little taken aback. "But I know you ain't, ma'am. I know you would never do the things she said, would ya mum? You're a good mum, and I ain't ever gonna let anythin' happen to you. I promise, mum, I really do."

His words were so heart felt and honest that it burned her soul to have him say all of this to her, knowing what she did behind his back. Forcing a smile she cupped his face in her hands.

"Enough of this silly talk. Off to bed with ya, and if the woman comes back, just let me know. I'll take care of it, alright love?" She kissed the top of his head and he nodded, obviously feeling safer. He laid down and watched the embers from the fire as she placed a blanket over him. "Sweet dreams, now," she said, and with those words he had already drifted into a deep sleep.

Hating herself soundlessly, she stood and rubbed her temples. It had been an exhausting night, and she needed just as much sleep as Toby did at this point. Wandering into the kitchen, she went to lock the shop door when she heard a loud bang from the sink. Doing a complete 180 on her heels, her dress picking up dust as she moved, she held her breath. Sweeney Todd was infront of her. "Damnit," she heard him curse as he bent down to pick up the rolling pin he had just knocked over. When he came back up, he turned to put it on the counter top when he caught sight of Mrs. Lovett. It was in that moment that time seemed to stop. The awkward position they were both in could make a tramp blush. Neither of them said a word until Mrs. Lovett noticed that he had a blood rag in his hand.

"Mr. Todd! Your hand..." She quickly moved towards him with no hesitation and grabbed the stained cloth out of his hands. He went to pull away but she held him still. Whether she did it purposely or not, he didn't know. But as her fingers caressed the cut in his hand, his mind went with war against itself. Two sides of his head were erupted in fury, fighting for control over his body. One part said to let her take care of him, and stop trying to ignore her love for him. The other said he didn't need her, and that he would be better off alone. It was a nasty fight and neither side seemed to be winning or losing. Mrs. Lovett inspected the depth of the cuts and was mildly surprised when he did not react to her touching his wounds. Perhaps he was to enthralled by his recent discoveries that he didn't care anymore if Mrs. Lovett did anything to him. "This won't do, no. It won't at all. You silly man, did you do this to yourself?" She asked, looking up at him. He avoided her gaze and kept silent.

"Well, nothing that ain't fixable. Proper deep cut though, even with the bandage it'll take awhile 'ta heal..." She let go of his hands, which he did not move, and went to look in her cabinets for bandages. "Don't know why you'd do such a foolish thing, Mr. T. Why didn't you come get me? Surely, you didn't think that you could stop the flow with that ol' rag, did ya?" She found them in the back of the cabinet behind all of her canned foods that had collected dust over the unused years. Clasping the cabinet door closed, she turned to him. He hadn't said a word since he had noticed her presence and had an extremely unfocused look in his eye.

Mrs. Lovett put one hand on her hip and the other she held out the bandages on her palm. "Mr. Todd, are you listenin' to me?" She asked quite poignantly. There was no response, per usual. Sighing, her heart softly grieved knowing that she was back to square one with him. All because of her damned _Benjamin _slip. She couldn't help it. It had just came out of her mouth. Now he wouldn't even look at her much less talk to her. She had screwed everything up and had to fix it all over again. And what time did she have anymore? Soon the Judge would come back and he would be dead. Then he would have Johanna. And even though her mind came up with crazy scenarios of Mr. Todd realizing that he had loved her all along and wanted to spend forever with her in a little house by the sea, she was starting to have a hard time believing it would come true. Before she would dance around the shop, serving customers, dreaming of a day she was sure would come. Now, all the walls of defense were back up. She had no way in again.

Grabbing his hands and jerking them towards her, she grabbed the rag that he had been using and picked the clean side to quickly wipe away the extra blood. It was still flowing but she made sure to clean the area around it. Then, she grabbed a clean, dry cloth, and patted his hands down. After that she began wrapping the bandages gently around his hands. "Don't know how you expect to slit the Judge's throat when yeh nearly cut your hands wide open..." muttered Mrs. Lovett to herself.

"I'll be fine, Mrs. Lovett," Sweeney Todd mumbled under his breath, still not making eye contact.

"Famous last words," warned Mrs. Lovett, finishing up the bandages.

"There, you're fine now," she said, and without knowing it, grabbed his hand in hers and clasped them together. Even though he wasn't paying attention a word she said, just being able to touch his rough handed... blooded or dry, was something she wouldn't give all the meat pies in the world for.

_There's no use... _she thought sadly to herself, gazing at their hands together. She put on a sad smile. _There's just no bloody use..._

And to her amazement, Sweeney Todd suddenly looked up at her and their eyes locked.

"You're in my nightmares, Mrs. Lovett," he stated with a whispered tone. A haunted tone.

"You're nightmares, Mr. Todd...?" Mrs. Lovett answered uncertainly. "What do you mean?"

"You're in my nightmares. You're in my dreams. You're _everywhere,_ Mrs. Lovett!" Sweeney cried out, throwing her hands away from him and turning around. "I can't get away from you. You penetrate my bloody mind, Mrs. Lovett. Like a fucking moth to flame. You won't leave me alone, will you, Mrs. Lovett? You'll never. Leave. Me. Alone." He gritted his teeth and grasped his hair. The laughing was going through his head again. The two sides kept battling over his heart. Over his soul. They were raging against him. Mrs. Lovett, perplexed, trying to reach out to his shoulder with her hand. "Mr. Todd..." she said, trying to comfort him. But he smacked her hand away and pinned her against a wall, his hands on both her wrists. She gasped, looking up at him with her mouth hung open in shock. He glowered down at her. "Mrs. Lovett. I can hear you in my dreams. My dear, dear, Lucy..." He hung his head, body shaking but still his hands pressed hard against her. No, she wasn't going anywhere. And secretly she didn't want to. But the name of Lucy coming through his lips angered her. Still he wasn't over her. That sick-minded woman. That whore. Lucy wasn't the one who took care of Mr. Todd when he came back, now was she? No, she never gave him the love and devotion that Mrs. Lovett showed him daily. The only thing she was good for was popping out snobby, blond haired girls just like her. Balling her hands into fists she looked away from him for the first time. However, he did not notice, and merely set his lips near her ear and growled into it. "She dies. Every dream, she dies. And it's all my fault, Mrs. Lovett. I'm a murderer, Mrs. Lovett. I am a slaughter house. I'm your worst nightmare. And yet you stay, Mrs. Lovett..." He nudged her neck and bit at it lightly. The smell of her intoxicated him. His heart was at twisted as his mind. Her mouth closed and tightened, trying not to make a sound as her knees began to buckle. "I could kill you at any minute... I could kill you right now if I wanted to. And you'd never notice that you were suffocating, Mrs. Lovett. No, you'd never notice..."

Mrs. Lovett tried not to feel the bruises she knew were forming on her wrists from his pressure. She could almost feel her pulse shortening from the blood loss. She didn't know what to do. Was she being given another chance? Was he about to kill her right there for one mistake? Her mind was flooded with questions and they didn't stop.

"Mr. Todd, please..." she mumbled breathlessly, being barely able to form words. "You say you need me, Mrs. Lovett, you say you want to save me in those nightmares. But you see, Mrs. Lovett, you see, I can't be saved. I can't be saved any longer. There's only one thing that can save me Mrs. Lovett. One thing, can you guess what that one thing is, Mrs. Lovett?" He asked in a threatening tone. She dared refuse a response, but she didn't want to accept that she couldn't save him. Even as he began to move his body up against hers. She couldn't even squirm she was so tightly pressed against the wall now. "Answer me, Mrs. Lovett!" he shouted, biting at her neck again. This time, she couldn't help but let a whimper escape her lips. "Mr. Todd... Please, Mr. Todd..." she was begging him. Sweeney tilted his head up and started to bite her earlobe now. She felt her insides melt as her legs nearly gave way. "Tell me, Mrs. Lovett... Tell me, how can you save me, when you cannot even save yourself?" He whispered into her ear.

Suddenly, she looked straight at him and glared. He didn't believe that she could save him. He probably didn't even believe that she loved him. Yet he knew he controlled her. _No, _she told herself. _I can't._

But she did.

"I _can_ save you Mr. Todd," she muttered back in an equally menacing voice. And with those words, she used all of her strength to push him off of her. He lost his balance and backed into one of the tables, almost falling over on it. Bewildered by her sudden actions, he scowled at her. "And do you know why, Mr. Todd?" She spat, breathing hard. "Because I love you, Mr. Todd. I love you more than Lucy ever could, and ever will!"

The quiet that fell over them was deafening. Mrs. Lovetts chest was heaving up and down at an incredible rate, as if she had just returned from an epic battle. She had just said what she had been holding so long inside of her for years now. All that she ever wanted to tell Sweeney was wrapped up in those three words: _I love you._ And she could feel her heart begin to crack in two with each second that passed.

Sweeney looked at her disgustedly. "I should kill you where you stand, Mrs. Lovett, for speaking about my Lucy like that..."

"Then do it!" She shrieked, water filling up in her eyes. And without warning, she grabbed one of her butcher knives from the counter. She walked over to him and placed it in his hand, clasping her own hand over his and leading it up to her neck, pressing the blades bristles onto her skin. "Do it! Kill me. Kill me, Mr. Todd. Because I would rather die by your blade, my love, knowin' that I told you I loved you, then die in my bed alone never knowin' what coulda been for all of my life." Tears began to stream down her face as her lower lip quivered. "So kill me, Mr. Todd. Because if I can't save you, then I bloody sure know that no one else can." She said, closing her eyes tightly. "Just... kill me."

And she stood and waited. She waited for the intense moment of pain, and then numbness. She waited for the blade to slit her throat straight open and her body to fall. She patiently waited to feel the blood gorge out of her like a fountain, coating Sweeney Todd from head to toe. She waited for death.

But it did not come.

Instead, she felt cold lips softly press against her chapped ones. And suddenly, a warmth ran over her body like water. Sweeney Todd let go of the butcher knife and let it fall out of his hands onto the floor with a loud noise. Now, with the same hands that had choked her, that had pinned her, and bruised her, he used to place gently on her hips. Soon, the kiss became more passion as they pressed their bodies against eachother. Mrs. Lovett snaked her arms around his neck as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. And as soon as this happened, a physically war between them ensued.

He pushed her up against a wall and tongue wrestled her roughly. She took it all in stride, her nails scratching at his back through his shirt. She moaned between the kiss as his hands found her breasts which he kneaded even over her coarse dress wear. _Damn, these clothes, _he thought to himself. He began to nearly rip off her clothing, twisting off the laces of her dress until they became loose. Becoming frustrated when he realized there were multiple layers underneath the one he had just taken off, he growled and ripped it straight open. "Mr. Todd!" Mrs. Lovett nearly screamed at his actions, breaking their kiss. But as his lips hit her bare chest, she realized she didn't really care what he did. As long as he didn't stop. _Don't stop._

He touched her in every way imaginable, kissing down her chest towards her stomach and biting at her skin violently, leaving teeth marks in his wake. As he crouched further down, he let his hands travel up under the rest of her dress which was still intact, finding her panties under all of the folds and crinkles of her dress. He tore them down and off of her as she ran long fingers through his black hair, encouraging him in any way she could. She wanted him, badly. He was the oxygen to her fire and she knew she couldn't live without this feeling. When he came back up, she reversed it on him and began biting at his neck just as ferociously as he had done earlier. He leaned back his head as she did it, and she was amazed to find that she could arouse him just as much as he could to her. Her hands unbuttoning his shirt quickly, her hands shook as she trailed her nails down his scarred chest down to his trousers. She quickly unbuckled them and slipped them off, leaving nothing left to cover a damned thing. Without hesitation, he grabbed both of her legs and pulled them to his waist. Squealing in surprise, she gripped his shoulders as he pressed her against the wall, her legs wrapping around him. He did not look for her approval, knowing that she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her, and entered her with no attempt at courtesy. Mrs. Lovett began to scream but his mouth collapsed against hers. Both of them were over the brim with pleasure. The desire for eachother that had been built up for so long came out with every thrust and kiss and touch and feeling. Even the minor of changes or smallest of touches drove them both insane. He loved it when she began pulling his hair, and she loved it when he completely overtook her, making her his beautiful puppet. And she was beautiful, Sweeney thought, _amazing._

It took well over an hour before they were done, laying on the floor entangled in eachother. Her hair was a mess, straggled and everywhere around her face. She laid ontop of him, half of her dress on and the other half thrown about the kitchen in random places. He merely laid under her, petting her hair and a stern, but tired look on his face. Both of them breathless and tried with Ecstasy.

"I look like a bloody rabid cat attacked me..." Mrs. Lovett said, smiling widely up at him. And to her very, sincerest surprise, he gave a very small smile back.

Sweeney Todd could not lie to himself anymore. Mrs. Lovett was quite astonishing in everything that she did. Perhaps, she was not Lucy. And no, she did not have golden locks that framed her gorgeous face just perfectly enough to look angelic... but she was still beautiful, Mrs. Lovett was. She was beautiful inside and out. And he had that beauty in his hand, right now. For the first time in over fifteen years, Sweeney Todd felt peace inside of his head. The kind he thought he could only get by murder, he found in a simple woman. A pretty woman.

He was bemused with himself when he saw that he felt like who he used to be again. He felt like Benjamin Barker.

But as he had once realized long ago, all good things must come to an end.

He heard a knock on the shop door, banging loudly. "Mr. Todd? Mr. Todd? I command you to open up." Sweeney Todd knew that voice. It was Judge Turpin.

Thankfully both Mrs. Lovett and him were hidden behind the kitchen counter. His mind panicking, he pushed Mrs. Lovett off of him. "The Judge, it's the bloody Judge. What was I thinking? What have I been doing? Wasting time. Wasting precious bloody time!" He said, ignoring Mrs. Lovetts whimper as she rolled over and harshly hit the floor. "Mr. Todd... hush love, hush..." she tried to tell him soothingly but he bit back at her. "No!" he growled, "I've waited for this. I've waited. I've earned my opportunity. It will not slip out of my grasp this time." He buckled his pants and buttoned up his shirt, looking at his bandaged hands. He just now noticed that they were hurting. _Damnit!_ he yelled in his head. Shooting a glare at Mrs. Lovett, he spoke heartlessly. "Stay here, clean yourself up." Obviously, the other side of his mind, at the hint of vengeance, awoken. Leaving any sign of Benjamin Barker dead and gone. Mrs. Lovett watched him in shock as he smoothed his hair then shot up, still fixing his clothes. Grabbing her dress and bringing it close to her, she bit her lip and leaned against the counter, trying not to be seen. Sweeney unlocked and opened the door. "Judge Turpin!" she could hear him say, "I'm glad you could come. Yes, yes, come in. It's my pleasure, really, sir..." he said, pulling more bull then he needed to. Honestly, his fake, sugar voice made her sick to her stomach. She did not know where the man she had just made love to had gone, but she knew that was not him. Still, Mrs. Lovett stayed quiet as Sweeney persuaded him upstairs.

"Come, sir, up to my parlor. I'll explain the happenings. It's not safe down here, y'see... wandering ears, you know?" She heard him whisper the last part to the judge. "Of course, of course... Understandable, Mr. Sweeney Todd." And with that she heard another door open, slam closed, and footsteps going upstairs echo outside.

Mrs. Lovett, when she knew it was clear, used the counter top to support her as she stood. Her body was still shaking from the experience, and her head was still dizzy.

Looking down at her half torn dress, she smirked slightly.

"Well, then. Guess I won't be wearin' this ta'morrow," she muttered. Looking above her, she knew that what had just happened could've either been the best thing in her life, or the biggest mistake she would ever make.

* * *

I definitely apologize for the lateness of this chapter, and if any characters are OC. But I just couldn't help it. I had so many little ideas here and there about how to write it all out, and I still wanted the storyline to stay in-sync with the movie so I was pulled one way and another at the same time. However, I think I know what I want to do now so I'm hoping to get the final chapter out soon. And yeah, this was probably like, my favorite chapter that i've ever written. I mean, come on. Who doesn't enjoy Sweeney and Lovett gettin' funky? Okay, in all seriousness, though. It's about to get real good. Really, I promise, you'll enjoy the final chapter. Thank you to all of my reviewers. You make me smile a considerable amount. It really does make this worth writing and finishing. Well, until next update I suppose. Keep R&R'ing. Stay lovely.

**P.S.** Yeah, no beadle. And I didn't want Toby to deliver the letter cause I have other plans for him. But you'll see all of that in the last chapter.

**P.S.S.** I apologize again if any characters are OC. Writing this was kind of a rollercoaster ride of emotions for Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd but I really did try my best and I hope you guys like it.


	4. Chapter 4: Beauty Fading

**Chapter 4: Your Beauties Fading**

_I never noticed. No, never noticed._

_Your beauties fading. Fading._

_"Straight to Video" - Mindless Self Indulgence_

_**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own the Sweeney Todd the play, book, movie, or characters. This is merely fanfiction._

* * *

Antony felt the blood drain from his face as he grabbed Johanna's hand and escaped the Asylum, making way to the pie shop. His heart was beating so fast that everything around him just seemed to be dream-like. Johanna had been quiet the entire time, and her face void of emotion. However, he didn't say a word until they got to the pie shop. He grabbed his knees, leaning over and catching his breath. "We... we made it," he gasped, looking up at her. Johanna's eyes seemed empty and her wheat blond hair was in disarray. She said nothing but gazed at him. Antony regained his posture and opened up the door to the shop, letting her in. "Mrs. Lovett?" he yelled out but got no response. Instead, he heard the yawn of a person in another room. "Toby?" he asked a bit more quietly. The young boy walked into the room, rubbing his eyes and smacking his lips together to regain taste in his dry mouth. "Antony? What are ya doin' here?" he inquired sleepily. "Toby, where's Mrs. Lovett?" Antony searched around the abandoned shop. "I 'unno where mum is. Maybe she went out for a walk," he said, shrugging his shoulders. Shaking his head, Antony looked back at Johanna. "I left clothes in the living room for you. Boy clothes. That way no one will recognize you. I have to go get a chariot, but wait here. Don't move. Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett will be here soon enough and they'll take care of you until I come back..." He said, grabbing her hands and smiling broadly at her. "All the nightmares will end Johanna. We can finally start our life together, fresh." He couldn't hide the anticipation and hope in his voice. Johanna merely stared at him with lifeless eyes. "No matter what you do, Antony... You can never make the nightmares go away. No one can ever make the nightmares go away..." she muttered in a soft, piercing voice. He looked confused at what she said for a second, but then kissed the top of her head. "They will now, my love," he told her reassuringly. But she did not look very assured at all. 

Turning to Toby, he said, "tell Mrs. Lovett and Mr. Todd that Johanna's arrived, and to take care of her until I come back."

Toby merely nodded slowly, yawning. Kissing Johanna once more on the forehead, Antony sprinted from the shop.

As he ran down the streets he collided with someone that nearly threw him completely off balance. Instead, the person who he had bumped into fell to the floor, her body sprawled across the road. "Oh, ma'am, i'm so sorry!" He apologized hastily, helping her up. He jumped back when he saw who it was. The beggar woman looked up at him and grabbed his wrist so tightly he could feel her long nails move into his skin. "Warn them, boy, warm them. Murderer. Witch. Liar. They come in but they don't come out..." she muttered venomously. "No one see's it, I says, no one see's it. But the sign of the devil is in there, sir. Wicked, sir, wicked..." Bewildered, Antony ripped his wrist from her grip and stepped back a considerable amount. The woman was barking mad. "I'm sorry, ma'am," he said, apologizing once more before running away. The beggar woman watched him. "Mischief... mayhem... Must warn them, I must. Must stop the devils hand. Yes, must..." her voice trailed off as she began to shuffle towards the shop, her head bowed.

Meanwhile, Johanna dressed herself in the clothes that Antony left for her. She didn't say a word to Toby even though he began talking to her and telling her the splendors of the shop. "It's great here, it is," Toby said, his back to her as he trailed his finger across the piano keys. "Mum, Mrs. Lovett, that is, is amazing. So kind. Took me in, she did, when I was with that horrible man, Perilli. Saved me, she did." Johanna merely gazed at the crackling fire. Toby grinned toothily at her. "You're too pretty to look like a boy," he said sweetly. She looked over at him and a small smile crossed her lips for the first time that night.

"Welp, I better go tell Mr. Todd what Antony said. Don't worry, he might scare you a little bit at first. To be honest, I don't like 'em all too much. Seems a bit sketchy to me. But if mum trusts him, well..." his words traveled into silence as his smile faded. Shaking his head a bit, he tried to force a chuckle to calm his own nerves. "I'll go get 'em, then, you stay here. If you see mum, be sure to tell her who you are. She don't like people in the shop at this hour. No, not at all," he said. Johanna nodded and watched as he began to walk upstairs to the parlor, her heart beating slowly as she started to realize that this place seemed vaguely familiar.

Not knowing the war all around her that was just beginning.

* * *

"Where is she?" Judge Turpin said immediately as Sweeney Todd closed the door to his parlor shop. "Patience, my Lord. All good things come to those who wait," Sweeney told him, a grueling smile crossing his face. Memories of when Mrs. Lovett had told him to wait poking through his thoughts. He went to take the Judge's coat but he recoiled. "How can I trust you?" he asked uncertainly, eyeing the barber threateningly. Sweeney knew that he would have to be extra careful not to scare him off. This was his last chance to do exactly what he had been striving to do for so, so long. "Sir, the sailor boy, he trusts me. But my Lord, he is a naive child. She had seen that. She was immensely turned off by his childlike demeanor and realized her wrong ways. She asked me to bring you here tonight so she could return to you," Sweeney explained gently. The more he talked, the calmer the Judge seemed to become. He had gotten off his coat and it was now hanging over the trunk that still slightly smelled of death. Coaxing the Judge to sit, Sweeney continued on with his vicarious lies. "She's getting herself ready for you, you see. Wanted you to see her in all of her beauty, confess her love and gratitude to you. Begging for your forgiveness, she was," He whispered in the Judge's ear as he sat down in the barber chair. "Ah... good, good...And if it is forgiveness she wants, she shall surely get it. I suppose I can trust you, barber," the Judge said, staring up at him, his damaged ego obviously healed. Sweeney walked over to his vanity where his blades lay. "Perhaps, my Lord, you would like a shave?" He proposed, holding his blade up to the mirror and grinning widely when he saw his reflection. Yes, this position, this scene... It was like a beautiful monologue in a story. _His_ story. And he was going to finish it so that when everyone saw his creation, they would be burned with the magnificence. "No, I really should be getting ready for her arrival," the Judge says, the idea dawning on him and he began to rise from his seat. Panic arising in Sweeney, he whipped around and put his hand on the Judge's shoulder, pushing him down. Startled, the Judge looked up at him with his eyebrows furred. _Bad move,_ Sweeney thought to himself and immediately tried to make an excuse for it. "Yes, but if she comes, dear Judge, do you really want her to see... Well..." he moved his hand across the Judge's prickled chin. Watching self-consciousness come over the Judge, Sweeney's heart slowed. "Ah... This... This is true, barber, this is true. Alright," he said, giving in and leaving back, getting himself comfortable in the chair. "Give me the best shave you can, and nothing but the best. Perhaps some French cologne while you're at it." He ordered. Feeling his vengeance upcoming, Sweeney's hands began to shake when he grabbed his shaving cream and began applying it to Judge Turpin's jaw, mouth, cheeks and neck. "Oh, sir," he said, his voice trembling with excitement. "I can guarantee you the closest shave you will _ever_ have..." 

"Pretty women, barber, pretty women... Dear Johanna, so graceful and beautiful," the Judge spoke to himself as Sweeney moved the blade across a belt tied to the chair, trying to keep his composure until the time was right. Swiftly, he moved to the Judge's side, taking one look outside his window. Tonight was the night all of London would see what revenge could do. How it could corrupt... destroy. _Yes, tonight everyone will see my beautiful picture... _"Hair like flowing gold, such luminous eyes..." he continued on. Sweeney looked back at him with a malicious glint in his eyes, which, for the first time in years, looked alive and shining. "Like her mother," Sweeney mumbled loud enough for the Judge to hear. And immediately, he could see the gears turning in the Judge's head. "Like her ... Mother? Excuse me?" The Judge asked, peering upwards at Sweeney whose blade was above his head and shimmering in the moonlight casted down through the window panes. And suddenly, a look of anxiety and familiarity came over his face. Sweeney merely smiled at him, bearing his teeth. "The years, no doubt, have changed me, sir. But then I suppose the face of a barber, the face of a prisoner in the dark, is not particularly memorable." He hissed, hands gripped tightly onto the handle of his blade. The eyes of the Judge widened. Confirmation played on his face. "Benjamin Barker..." he said with a cracked, scared voice as he began to inch away from him. But there was no escape this time.

Trembling, Sweeney's expression maddened. "BENJAMIN. BARKER!" He yelled out and jabbed the blade straight into the Judge's throat, his face welcoming the blood that began to hit him full force. Again, and again, and again the blade had stabbed the Judge. In that moment, all of his revenge, his anger, his malice, his envy, his grief, his sadness, poured into the repeated actions that he knew were justified. Not ever would he forget how the Judge's face froze in pure terror, and how it shook uncontrollably when blood spurted out onto the windows and the floor. Nor would he regret each thrust that went into him.

As a final blow, Sweeney gracefully slid his razor across the Judge's jugular, and with a fountain of crimson pouring out, he hit the pedal on his barber chair and watched the body drop into the baker below. When the chair came back up, he breathed heavily, mind going numb for just a few seconds. He was still in blind rage, but he knew it was over. It was finally over.

Falling to his knees, he looked at his dripping friends. They had done their purpose so well. "_Sleep now, my friend..._" he began to sing to himself, looking at the blade lovingly and caressing it with his dirty fingertips. Blood made it's way down his unkempt hair onto the tip of his nose before falling off onto the wooden floors. There was no time to clean this mess. The deed was done... there was nothing else to do. He went to put the blade onto the barber chair until he heard a rattled voice and footsteps walk up the stairs.

Immediately snapping back into action, he went dead silent and listened.

"Judge Turpin? Judge Turpin... I know you're up here, I saw you come up here, I did... Oh, what have they done... The witches spell cast on you? Turpin, Turpin..."

The old beggar woman walked through the door, her head bowed. She walked into the parlor and, upon noticing the blood that spread from the barber chair to her bare, dirty feet, she looked up and gasped. "Devil..." She muttered shakily. "Devil!" she pointed at Sweeney and screamed. Sweeney immediately ran over and covered the womans mouth, looking into her mad blue eyes with his dark cold ones. "You must pay for what you know..." he mumbled to her, uncovering her mouth. Before he could do anything, the woman scrunched up her face as if trying to get a better look at him. "Don't I know you...?" she whispered, more to herself then to him. But without another word being said, he slit open her throat with no pause or thought. Her body stayed upheld for a moment before he threw her into the barber chair and pressed down on the pedal. Her body met the same fate as the Judge's, crawling down the chute and landing with a satisfying crunch. _Finally_, he thought, _it's done..._

But even as he turned to the door, ready to greet the rest of London with both of his hands blooded from revenge, he stopped mid-step when he saw what was awaiting him.

With a jaw dropped in shock and eyes big as saucers, Toby stood in the doorway motionless.

And Sweeney Todd knew at that moment that the night was far from over.

* * *

Mrs. Lovett was already in the basement, stomping on the bugs passed by and holding a filth cloth to her nose. The stench was sometimes unbearable but she put up with it daily so it got worse less and less. She had been waiting for the body of the Judge to drop, all the while sitting on top of an old barrel that used to hold ale. She had been thinking of the earlier events over and over in her mind. She could still feel his hands all over her. Grasping her, caressing her... They had always been so rough but they had felt so soft then. Mrs. Lovett knew that she saw Benjamin Barker come out again. Yes, he was easily taken over once more by Sweeney Todd at the first sign of the Judge, but it had been worth it. After all, she understood, more than anyone knew, that this was more important than her. Yes, sometimes you have to see the big picture to understand the little one glimpse that you get of it. She understood this. Even so, her mind wandered as she nibbled on a corner of the cloth. _Life is for the alive,_her mind told her. And she had finally been alive with him. 

Perhaps after this, she thought, crossing her legs. They could keep up the shop, and move to the sea one day like she had always wanted. And he would finally be happy, with all of his revenge aside. He would finally begin to let her in full force. She would have the change she had been waiting for ever since she had met Benjamin Barker that fateful day.

He had been so young back then, and even Mrs. Lovett looked more kempt than she did now. He had dark, rich brown hair that curved under his earlobe and was combed back on the top. Sometimes strands of hair would fall around his round face and he would look angelic. She remembered him knocking on her shop door. She had been with her now deceased husband, Albert, at the time. He was on his death bed when Benjamin Barker arrived. Mrs. Lovett had opened the door and greeted him with a smile, telling him that the shop was closed due to personal family affairs. He had insisted, however, to rent out the room upstairs. "I noticed that no one ever uses it," he had told her, "and I would really like to start a business. A barbershop, if you will." Mrs. Lovett at the time was planning to use the upstairs room for her own personal use. Perhaps a study room, since she did so enjoy reading literature. But she couldn't help but be slightly enticed by the mans deep eyes and sweet smile. Though she was married, she was roped in immediately by his charm. After Albert had died she rented it out to the man, and together her income began to come up. She would sometimes take breaks from cooking to go up and watch him shave his customers. He would always be so polite to her, and offer her hot tea. They would talk about nothing and anything at all. Both innocent... so innocent, _naive. _

Mrs. Lovett lowered her eyes and listened to the furnace a few feet away from her. Things had once been so simple, and now had become so complicated. Benjamin Barker had been there for her in rough times. Had grabbed the liquor out of her hands when she sobbed over the loss of her husband, or when she had been stressed out about the lack of customers in the shop. He would come down and help her regularly run the shop if things got to be too much for her. They had slowly been growing closer. Mrs. Lovett couldn't help but feel that she was falling for him, and she knew there would come a time where it would be appropriate to tell him so. And she always had a fear that they were not reciprocated. So she waited... she waited until she had some kind of a sign, or a hint. And eventually, the sign did come, Mrs. Lovett thought to herself bitterly. A sign in the form of a beautiful, blond woman named Lucy.

She would never forget the day she saw that wench clinging to Benjamin's arm. Giggling like a school girl, her golden hair in curls down to her shoulders. Mrs. Lovett loathed her immediately upon meeting her. She had shook the womans frail, small hands, and had the huge urge to spit on them. But she held herself back. Instead, she put on a sweet smile and offered her a free meat pie. Now that she thought about it, she should've burned the damned thing. "_A little overcooked," _Lucy had said to her. "_Perhaps you shouldn't leave it in the burner for too long next time."_ As if the woman knew anything about working with her bare hands, Mrs. Lovett had thought angrily. She had probably never even touched a pint of flour in her life. Would be too scared of ruining her dainty lil' fingers, she would.

Fuming, Mrs. Lovett stood up and began pacing, still chewing on the corner of the napkin even more violently than before. The mere memory of Lucy made her skin boil. For years she had been in the shop below them, watching day by day as he fell more and more in love with her. And yet, even as they began to grow more distant with every week that passed, Benjamin Barker never stopped coming down to help her with her shop. He would constantly tell her stories._ "I'll marry her, I will..."_ Benjamin had told her. At the time, Mrs. Lovett wanted to bash the woman with one of her cooking pans and see if Benjamin would still love her if she hadn't looked like a bloody goddess. But again, she refrained. And when they had a child, she treated it as if it was her own. Not that Lucy ever let her hold the baby, but when she was gone and Benjamin needed help she would lend her motherly touch. Lucy would never know about it, for Benjamin and her both knew that if Lucy ever heard that Mrs. Lovett had touched her child she would throw a fit over it. Pretty little thing came off so level-headed, but Mrs. Lovett knew, even if no one else did, that she could push her buttons if she wanted to. But for the sake of Benjamin, she never did. She just wanted to see him happy, even if he didn't see something good right before him. And after all, Mrs. Lovett would never be the stunning, blond angel that Lucy was. Not even if she tried. Nor would she ever fall down to that level to become such a thing. No, Mrs. Lovett was a hard-working woman who was happy with herself. She would never change for anyone else, not even Benjamin Barker.

And then, it happened. Suddenly, Lucy came in a blubbering matter through her shop door one day. "Transported! Taken away! Under false charge!" she had screeched, falling to her knees while holding her child. Her hair was scraggly and loose, sweat pouring down her soft face. Mrs. Lovett had rushed to her side and taken the child, giving Lucy multiple cups of gin. "Where is he?" she had asked, frightened. "Where is Benjamin?"

Thats when Lucy explained what had happened with the Judge, and how she would never see Benjamin ever again. Mrs. Lovett took care of her, sitting upstairs at her bedside and listening to her cry until she had fallen asleep. The woman had been completely torn apart by what had happened. But whens he had fallen asleep, Mrs. Lovett had stammered down the staircase into her shop. A hand on the wall to keep her balancing, tears streaming down her face. Benjamin Barker... transported. All because of that foolish woman. She couldn't even stand up for him, or stop him. She didn't even attempt to try. She merely ran... ran away from the man she claimed to love so she didn't get hurt. Selfish wench. Good for nothing, she was. Mrs. Lovett had spent the whole night drinking, not getting a wink of sleep and working silently in the morning. Word had spread about Benjamin Barker's sudden disappearance, and many of her customers were more interested in hearing the juicy gossip rather than buying her meat pies.

From that point on, Lucy never came down from the upstairs room. She stayed with her child, weeping. Every so often the Judge would come and leave roses at her doorstep. She would take them and leave them on her desk, letting them die and wilt. Not once did Lucy ever come down, unless it was to break down to Mrs. Lovett and speak of how much she missed Benjamin. In which Mrs. Lovett would always take time out of her schedule to take care of the lousy woman. Never did she refuse to hand a shoulder. Constantly Mrs. Lovett would go up and take care of Johanna while Lucy wept in the corner, unable to handle what life had thrown at her. _So weak, _Mrs. Lovett though. _Weak and naive._

Then, on that glorious but fateful day, Lucy had disappeared from her upstairs establishment. Leaving her daughter alone. Mrs. Lovett didn't know where she was, but had cared for Johanna regardless. Deep down in her heart, stemming from all the anger and hate that boiled over the years of taking care of that ungrateful fool, she almost hoped that the woman would't return. But she did. She returned tattered and torn. Tears rolling down her dirt stained face. It no longer looked angelic, but filthy and rotten. The Judge had raped her, tricking her into coming to his home. _"I can't take it anymore, Mrs. Lovett..." _Lucy had told her in a quivering voice, taking a vial full of liquid out of her bodice._"This is arsenic, Mrs. Lovett. I'm going to kill myself..." _and even with all the hatred that shook Mrs. Lovett to her core, she tried to stop her._"Are you off your rocker, silly woman? Your daughter needs you, and you just plan to leave 'ER?" _Lucy never responded but had grabbed Johanna out of Mrs. Lovett's arms and ran off. Mrs. Lovett had followed her, only to end up watching as Lucy sucked the vial dry and collapsed. Before Mrs. Lovett could grab the child, her worst fears came true. Judge Turpin found Lucy and the child and had grabbed Johanna immediately. The guards in the city all surrounded Lucy and carried her out.

Mrs. Lovett was sure that she was dead, and for years lived alone in her shop. Thinking to herself that Lucy was gone for good, and that Johanna was in the arms of the very man that threw her to the brink.

Imagine her horror when...

_Crash!_

A body fell down from the chute in the form of Judge Turpin. Jumping a bit, Mrs. Lovett gasped. His head cracked on the pavement of the basements floor. Dropping her cloth, she bent over towards him, checking to see if he was really dead. Joy filled her heart, knowing that Sweeney had gotten what he had been hoping for. Warmth flooded over her as she sighed happily. Perhaps now the nightmares would stop, she thought. Perhaps now everything would be over with. After all, Sweeney only had one thing holding him back from becoming who he used to be. Soon, he would be with his daughter Johanna, and everything would be okay again. Everything would be like it was before he met that damned woman. She let her mind dream. Finally, it was all over... Everything was done.

However, to her unpleasant surprise, soon after that, she heard the chute open up again. Confused, she watched another body toppled over Judge Turpin's. And her mouth dropped at the sight of who it was. The old beggar woman laid before her, throat slit wide open. "_You!_" She growled, panicking. He had killed her. But had he known...? _No, we must burn her body first, _Mrs. Lovett thought, her body beginning to shake as she looked around frantically. She needed to get her body where no one could see it, and quickly. Her mind racing, she reached down to grab the womans dress and drag her with the rest of the bodies in her grinding machine. However, just as she began doing it, the door to the baker opened up with a loud bang.

"Fucking bugger!" Sweeney growled, gripping his blooded hair. Her heart stopped beating. Did he know? She tried to drag the womans body even faster. "The boy! He saw. I couldn't get him in time. He's gone by now. To tell the authorities, no doubt," Sweeney said, throwing one of the barrels against the wall in anger and watching it explode into wooden fragments. "We have to get out of here, and quickly. We have to make sure Johanna is safe," he told her. Mrs. Lovett said nothing but concentrated as best she could to getting the body out of sight. But unfortunately, Sweeney noticed. "Good God, woman," he muttered, throwing his razor to the side. "Leave the woman to me and grab the Judge, we will merely throw them into the fire," he ordered strongly. "But, Mr. Todd," Mrs. Lovett said, breathing fast. She couldn't let him. She couldn't. "I SAID DO IT!" Sweeney yelled. Trembling, she recoiled to the side, opening the door to the furnace. She only had hope that he wouldn't see...

But as the light from the furnace came over the womans face, Sweeney Todd's heart fell.

There, laying in a bloody mess, was his Lucy.

Dropping to his knees, bewildered, Sweeney moved her head towards him. "Lucy...?" he whispered to himself. Her sweet face looked back at him, lifeless. Lifeless because of his thirst for revenge... because of his impairable mistakes and unquenched anger. "Do I know you... she said..." He muttered, remembering how the old beggar woman had looked at him and asked if she knew him. Now, he thought, if he had only waited... but he was so careless, he had merely ignored her words and cut her throat right open. Staring at his blood-stained hands, he realized that he had just killed his wife. _He had just killed Lucy._

"You... you knew she was alive..." Sweeney said in disbelief, his mouth becoming dry and his sight blurring. He wasn't sure whether he should cry or scream. He didn't really know what to feel. But he knew one emotion that he was very familiar with begin to take place of his logic. Looking up at Mrs. Lovett's shocked face, it finally clicked in his head. "You lied to me..." Sweeney said.

"Lied? No, no," Mrs. Lovett began to shake her head wildly, hair flying around her. "I never lied, no, I didn't lie," she said as Sweeney began to slowly stand with his head bowed to the floor. He was going to kill her, thought Mrs. Lovett, he was going to kill her just like he had killed all his customers. "I told you she took the poison, but I never said she died..." Mrs. Lovett pointed out, trying to find a loophole in her false words. And even though she was right, she knew that the man was too smart to fall for such a deceiving notion. He raised his head and looked at her with sorrow-filled eyes that pierced through her soul. Mrs. Lovett turned away from him, breathing hard and then went for the baker door. But he had been too fast for her. He blocked her path and grabbed her hand, moving against her and cornering her. Mrs. Lovett made sure there was air between them as she tried to say whatever she could. "I did not lie to you! I didn't. It was for your own good. She was barking mad, she was! The poison made her go crazy! They sent her to Bedlam into the Asylum. She was suppose to be dead!" She cried out, chest heaving. "But you knew she was alive. You knew. All these years, Mrs. Lovett... you knew. And you didn't say a bloody word," he began laughing hysterically. Manically. For the first time, Mrs. Lovett was frightened for her very life. "You're a bloody wonder, Mrs. Lovett, eminently practical and yet appropriate as always!" he roared and she felt her back against a wall. Who would have known that earlier this would've been the ideal position she would've liked to be in with Sweeney Todd, and now she would do anything to disappear. "I only did it because I loved you!" sobbed Mrs. Lovett, who at this point had no logic left to use. "I love you, Benjamin Barker! I have always loved you. And I could be twice the wife she ever was and you know it!"

Chuckling to himself, Sweeney's shoulders shook and there was dead silence between them. No one said a word. The only noise was the sounds of rats scuttering around in the sewers beneath them, looking for food.

"You... love me, Mrs. Lovett. Charming... oh, so charming." He breathed, looking up at her. Crying softly, Mrs. Lovett watched him and continued to shake her head. "Yes... I love you. I've loved you since the day I met you, Benjamin Barker." Sweeney motioned for her to come forward. "Yes, Mrs. Lovett. Oh, of course you have. Life is for the alive, am I right? Everything's in the past. That's what you said to me before, Mrs. Lovett, is it not?" Mrs. Lovett could not tell whether he was being truthful or not so she continued to back away. There was a malice in his voice that she could not pin point. "Benjamin, don't do this..." She begged of him as he began walking towards her. "Oh, Mrs. Lovett, come here love. My darling pet," and with a swift move of his hand he grabbed her wrist and began dancing with her infront of the furnace. Quickly they waltzed as he began to sing to her. "By the sea, Mrs. Lovett. Wouldn't that be smashing?" He said with a smile that ripped her heart in two. She wanted to trust him and give in, but she couldn't let herself. No, she couldn't. She couldn't fall for it. But his voice was so beautiful... "You and me, Mr. T, we could be alone in a house wot we'd almost own, down by the sea..." She sang along with him, forcing a pained smile on her face. Sweeney's mind was twisting. She had lied to him, betrayed to him, and yet even now she looked so beautiful. But everything she stood for was fake. She was nothing more than a whore in sheep's clothing. Because of her, he lost the only chance to ever be with his wife again. Because of her, he had killed the love of his life. And that made her beauty melt into something grotesque and vile.

He stopped dancing with her and pulled her close. They stood infront of the open furnace, the fire shining in the innocent eyes that looked up at him. He bent down to her lips, and her mind stopped working as he did. She thought he was going to go to kiss her, but he made a detour and set his lips near her ear.

"I never noticed, Mrs. Lovett... Your beauties fading," he whispered harshly. Her eyes went wide, and she became very alert. "It's fading," he said quietly.

And with that, he grabbed her waist and made motion to throw her straight into the furnace. However, Mrs. Lovett had caught on too early, and grabbed onto his arm. When he went to throw her, she merely held onto him and kicked off with her feet, swinging around him and sending him flying into the furnace herself. Falling to the floor, she gasped when she heard his screams and cries as the fire began to light him. Squealing, she ran to him and pulled him out of the furnace, ripping off pieces of her dress and throwing them on the flames that surrounded him. "No! NO!" She gasped, barely breathing as smoke entered her lungs from being so close to the fire. Sweeney Todd, coughing, began to lift himself up on all fours, reaching into his belt for an extra razor that was held there. Grabbing it and sliding it out of its hold, he whipped it around on her and sliced a part of her cheek. "Augh!" she collapsed to the floor, holding the side of her face. She could feel the blood trickle down her chin and neck. Both of them breathing heavily, he leaned over towards her as she looked up at him. He went to slice open her throat but she caught his hand, using the rest of her strength to hold him back. "Benjamin, don't do this, please, don't do this. By the sea, Benjamin! By the beautiful sea..." she spluttered, trying to calm him. "We all deserve to die..." he grumbled, pushing hard against her hand.

With that, he gave one last push, with Mrs. Lovett's neck and his own meeting both sides of the blade. Pressing against each others necks.

"Even you, Mrs. Lovett... Even I." He muttered quietly as her petrified eyes locked with his.

But it wasn't in a voice that was threatening. It was pained. Suddenly, she had seen all the hatred in his eyes fade.

She was no more looking at Sweeney Todd. She was looking at Benjamin Barker.

Tears had welled up in his eyes as everything that he had done to the people around him dawned on him.

He saw all the people he killed... he saw his blade against Lucy's throat.

He saw the way he had treated Mrs. Lovett despite her lies, she had always been so kind.

All in the name of revenge. It was suppose to be so sweet... but in the end had only killed him.

And in that moment, Sweeney Todd realized that yes, she had lied to him. But she was there every day of his life. Every time he began to brood she would try to make him smile. Even before he was transported, Mrs. Lovett never left his side. He had tried to push her away as best he could but she still stayed. Through all the laughter, the pain, the tears, the anger, the murder... she never turned her back on him. Even now, as they laid across each other, a blade to both of their necks, she didn't run away. And yet she knew in her eyes that this could be the end. Yet still she trusted him with all of her heart, however reluctant it was. Her warm touch had broken his hard heart in two when not even the memory of Lucy could've done that.

And almost as if she knew what he was trying to say to her, she whimpered.

And he knew that there was only one way to get rid of this terrible monster inside of him that had killed everyone he loved around him.

And she knew... she knew there was no way to run from the fate that she had wrought upon herself, and the tragic lies she had woven.

They both knew at that moment, that they would never escape the nightmares.

"By the sea, we'll grow old together, Benjamin Barker..." she sang softly, tears streaming down her face. She knew what was to come.

"By the sea, Nellie Lovett, married nice and proper," he responded in an equally leveled tone. The tip of his nose against hers.

"By the beautiful sea..." they both sang the last note together, and with those words left hanging, he move the blade against her throat and his. Cutting them both open together as the blood poured into each other. Sweeney Todd collapsing on her as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. His blood dripped onto her body, down her chest and below her bodice. Mrs. Lovett laid there below him her hand holding his with a blade in between both of their palms. The color drained from her sight but she could not remember a time they were so vivid. Revenge escaped Sweeney Todd but he could not remember a time where he felt so filled inside of his heart. And even in that moment, as they both took their last breaths and life escaped them, Mrs. Lovett had found that she had died knowing what really _could_ have been. And Benjamin Barker died knowing that he _could_ forgive and love again.

And he had finally finished the story he had been writing.

His picture perfect portrait was finally complete.

And even in death, Mrs. Lovett had never left his side.

**FIN**

* * *

asdl;sfdslkjgfdsjg. YAY THE END. Okay, wow. This was INCREDIBLY hard for me to write. Like you don't even know. I had such bad writer's block. And oh my goodness, I wanted to change the end SO badly. I wanted to make it so Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd could have a life together but I knew it wouldn't be right. The story is the story and while you can rewrite the ending, it still must be the end. I thought this would be a much more appropriate way to end it rather then just have him throw her into a furnace and then mope over Lucy's dead body. I think at the end of this chapter Sweeney really did see that Mrs. Lovett had been there through all of it. I wanted them to die together on a good note, not a bad note. And I really hope you liked it. 

Thank you to ALL of my reviewers. Oh my goodness, you guys totally rock. I love you desperately. I hope you don't like, hate the ending of my story. LOL.

To be honest, this is actually one ending out of two that i'm going to write. I have a whole 'nother series upcoming between Sweeney and Lovett. What if they both had lived to see another day? Oh, I really can't wait to write it. I hope you guys did enjoy this one though, and i'm glad it's over because now I have a clean slate.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you everyone.

I couldn't have done it without your support.

Much love, forever.

-LiquidThoughts a.k.a Alexandra


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